


Four Minutes To Change Your Life

by Anonymous



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Filming, Getting Together, M/M, Sequel, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 13:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17899139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The nerves shifted to comfort and then finally, anticipation. The phone began buzzing between them and Armie blinked his eyes a number of times before registering what it must mean. "Oh," Timmy sighed, and it was enough.With the tap of his screen, Armie silenced it. The pull between them made his eyes gravitate back up to Timmy's where he was still staring. "That went faster than I thought it would." The words spilled out like ink on parchment paper and Armie wanted to gather something to sop them up."I think it worked," he admitted instead, and smiled when Timmy nodded.





	Four Minutes To Change Your Life

It wasn’t that the air grew stale the longer they allowed the silence to persist; rather, it grew thick, heavy with thoughts not yet examined. It had to be done in order to proceed.

Timmy swallowed and shifted on his seat under the crushing pressure of Armie's attention. Aside, the sound of distant music drifted through the open window of Timmy's apartment, cracked only an inch to provide a level of ventilation to swap out the heat building for cool air. The hairs on Timmy's neck stand up with a sensation that causes his shoulders to bunch around his ears; sweat drips down Armie's spine the longer he sits still.

The began filming the following day. They'd made out a number of times, instigated often by an overeager Luca to ensure they would be able to find their balance on their own. Armie had broached the subject over dinner with his lips nearly touching the shell of Timmy's ear as he leaned over to whisper, _W_ _e should probably rehearse tonight_.

Through it all, their main worry had been not the lines, or even the intimacy expected of them, but the tension they knew must exist in every interaction, through every glance and fumble of words. Timmy had been the one to suggest the exercise though. His sister had sent him an article before he left for Italy with a series of 36 questions meant to allow two strangers to fall in love. He hadn't put much stock in it, but the grand finale was a solid four minutes of eye contact, which admittedly, intrigued him. It would build tension, he explained to Armie. They didn't need the questions ("I'm not looking to actually fall in love with you," Armie had said), just the four minutes.

"If we get into character and then do it, it'll help. I think. What do you think?"

They sat cross legged on Timmy's bed with their hands in their laps and Armie's phone between their knees counting down the time. "Are we allowed to talk—"

"Shh." Timmy resisted the urge to look down at Armie's lips when he bit them at the shake of Timmy's head. _No_ , he seemed to say as his eyes grew heavy while sensing the increasingly restless energy across from him. He was sure they were still in the first minute and with the pace each of their hearts seemed to beat to, neither were sure they would make it.

Timmy found himself giggling and tried to contain it as the nervous energy between them settled into something else as Armie broke into a grin at the sound. "Sorry," Timmy breathed out as he refocused his mind on the man in front of him. Another twenty seconds and Timmy's heart had calmed down to a steady pace as he grew comfortable being looked at, though Armie's began racing faster at the subtle tilt of Timmy's lips and the flutter of his lashes. His hand lifted to cover part of his face as he breathed through his nose to gain some composure.

Timmy reached out and skimmed his fingers along Armie's wrist to pull it away from his face. His message was clear. _Don't hide._ The mere knowledge that Timmy saw through him made it harder for Armie to keep eye contact, but he did as Timmy returned his own hand to his lap with a small smile.

It was as if a string attached the two of them together and pulled the longer they stared. Armie adjusted his position and Timmy instinctively followed; their bodies grew an inch closer as a result. The sensation of Armie's laugh in a crowded space filled Timmy's mind as the silence echoed fiercely between them, almost as if it was begging to be filled by something other than labored breath.

Their eyes grew glassy, though neither would point it out. The nerves shifted to comfort and then finally, anticipation. The phone began buzzing between them and Armie blinked his eyes a number of times before registering what it must mean. "Oh," Timmy sighed, and it was enough.

With the tap of his screen, Armie silenced it. The pull between them made his eyes gravitate back up to Timmy's where he was still staring. "That went faster than I thought it would." The words spilled out like ink on parchment paper and Armie wanted to gather something to sop them up.

"I think it worked," he admitted instead, and smiled when Timmy nodded.

"I definitely feel it now." Timmy wasn’t certain this was something he ought to admit to, but in the interest of the exercise and their characters, he found he didn't mind Armie knowing. They would have no secrets on set—this was simply an extension of that promise. Luca had told him they needn't worry about the tension on screen on account of their natural chemistry being enough; however, as Timmy held Armie's gaze in the low lights of his apartment, he knew this was what they'd been missing—the pure and unapologetic desire to look and be looked at, and the willingness to let another see that desire in your soul.

"I do, too," Armie nodded, and while his smile was tight, Timmy could see the honesty behind his words and the strength it had taken him to admit it.

"Maybe we should…. Hug." Armie laughed softly at the suggestion, but nodded nevertheless. They stood and each shifted their clothes after having sat for a while before stepping closer into an embrace. Timmy sunk against Armie's chest on impact and felt the weight of his body settle into it. Their breathing shallowed out as each pulled against shirts and backs to get closer while shamelessly attempting to soak up the moment of quiet that now felt warm and inviting. Armie knew he would remember Timmy like this after it was over; this was the smell he would associate with him, this hug the one that would haunt.

By the time they part, Timmy wonders if this had been a mistake. He craved Armie instantly in a way he hadn't before and knew it wouldn't dissipate easily considering their jobs would require him to lean into it.

 

 

 

"If something happens," Armie started. They held gaze and nodded at one another while ignoring the sound of the crew readying the set.

"Then lean in and act," Timmy finished with a small smile. Luca asked if they were ready and began staging the scene before calling action. Before they knew it, Timmy's hips were pressed against Armie's chest while hands explored without fear. In the moment before their lips connected, matches may as well have lit in the centimeters between their bodies as they hovered with noses skimming and fingers settling. It was always the same, those seconds before the kiss. No matter how many times they rehearsed or acted out anything involving a kiss, those moments before made their chests ache in a way neither could truly explain. Kissing was the only solution to ease the weight of the moment. This was a lesson they had learned while rehearsing one night where they were both a little too drunk to completely focus. Timmy had looked pained and Armie leaned in kiss him. The sigh leaving Timmy on impact revealed almost as much as his body sagging forward or his hands splaying out over Armie's thighs as they kissed, nevermind the series of shivers passing between the two of them until they parted. Sometimes, Timmy found himself wondering if it would have been this intense had they never purposefully tried to encourage the tension between them. He never comes to a conclusion one way or the other.

Armie knew, though. He understood as he breathed over Timmy's chest on the bed and felt the urge to lick (so he did) that they did this to themselves. Never had he allowed himself to so freely accept attention from a costar during a shoot, not to mention how free he felt to return the favor. It was all new, and it all started that night in Timmy's apartment when he let himself let go of every trepidation he held onto for so long about acting and vulnerability and their relationship to one another. The blurred lines of his reality in Crema only exacerbated the problem until he could do nothing but accept he would always feel a sort of draw to Timmy's eyes, his lips, his body.

They don't deny the attraction, but they don't acknowledge it either beyond teasing remarks after the fact. Armie doesn't point out the way Timmy's hips kept shifting up towards his with breathy moans, and Timmy refrains from mentioning how hard Armie had been when the laid naked in the bed with only each other to cover themselves.

Later, they joke about it—but only much later when they can almost pretend it didn't happen.

 

 

 

The first time they see each other after filming, Timmy realizes instantly that the bond did not change with distance. The familiar tug pulled them together and keeps them staring long after they know is sociably acceptable; however, neither was eager to lose the other's eyes, so they remained silent and smiling.

They slept in the same bed and Armie wondered if the question would ever come up about whether or not he should take the couch, but found he wasn't surprised when Timmy dragged him to his bedroom when he said he was tired. For a long time, they just stared at one another and whispered across Timmy's pillow while they caught up. Armie's fingers reached out to rub up and down Timmy's arm with as much ease as Timmy's own found its way to Armie's hair for extended periods of time. They fell asleep in each other's embrace and awoke without blushing as neither seemed to find their positions terribly surprising. It went on much the same after that, and each time they were together without Elizabeth. On occasion, Timmy would slip in and snuggle up to Armie even with her there, but never for long and always with a smile and a joke about stealing warmth.

They were fine most days, their _normal_ only unusual to anyone who hadn't experienced it before. They looked at each other a little too much and for too long, and their hands often wandered for periodic contact, but their banter never wavered. It became a stabilizing force for them both even years after the movie was filmed.

The longing when they were apart never settled too deep in their bones before they found ways to see one another again for a fix. Timmy teased Armie about it one day as he swayed from foot to foot with his back pressed against Armie's chest in the kitchen of his apartment. His hands were around Armie's waist and looped with his belt as Armie snaked his arms around Timmy to rest on his stomach. "This is nice. I needed an Armie fix," he laughed while throwing his head back against Armie's shoulder.

"Oh yeah? You addicted to me? It's alright, I understand. I'd be addicted too."

"You're so full of shit," Timmy laughed, but made no move to separate their bodies until Armie bit down on his shoulder with a smirk. They fought briefly through laughter until Armie had him pinned to a wall with his wrists behind his back and _mercy_ falling from his lips repeatedly. With only inches between their lips as they breathed each other in, Armie wondered if it would ever end.

When Timmy's head fell back against the wall with a sigh that Armie could have sworn sounded more like a whimper, he leaned in breathed against his neck. Kissing it felt like a line crossed, as did biting, but he couldn't avoid the space offered up to him by Timmy. They part, but only after Armie feels Timmy's heart slow against his nose to a normal pace. They exchanged smiles and stepped away to continue cooking dinner without so much as a second thought.

 

 

 

The second time they filmed, they laid in bed together the first night they arrived on set. Elizabeth had a bakery emergency and told him she'd come to visit when she could. Timmy's hands were under Armie's shirt as he teased him _, Oliver is pretty ripped in this movie I guess?_ Armie laughed and rolled his eyes before rolling their bodies until Timmy was under him and smirking. Armie tugged Timmy's shirt up to his armpits and rested his palm against the flat of his abdomen _. Elio too, apparently._ The promise of more was all around them—of scenes where they would be encouraged to lean in once more and capture a feeling trapped between their quiet looks and lingering touches that spoke of their unusual intimacy. 

When they returned after filming each night, they edge closer and closer to the lines drawn in the sand more so than usual. Nothing stops them from running lines and while their scenes together are limited, their chemistry is just as important. They speak about the time apart as if the separation was their own and wonder aloud at night at what might have been. It took nearly all of filming for Timmy to break. The request was simple— _hold me, please_ —when they'd spent the day apart so Timmy could film his scenes with another man. His hair was damp as Armie pulled his fingers through it. He didn't ask why he'd taken a shower before coming over.

"I don't like Elio without you," he mumbled with his hands in Armie's hair. "I don't like him doing that without you. It doesn't feel right." Armie knew enough to understand it must have been a difficult scene for him to film despite the series of love scenes he'd managed to collect since their first film together. "I get into his head and try to lean into it but it's just you."

This, Armie thought, was the furthest they'd pushed with their blurry lines. The physicality or the gazes—the honesty Timmy offered now rivaled it _all_ over the years. Armie had filmed a scene the day before with Dakota and understood what Timmy meant completely and without question. Seeing as the pull to be near one another didn't ebb with filming, it only stood to reason that being in their characters' heads once more, and not being able to find the closeness they desired, took a toll on their minds—and bodies.

So it is possible they felt lost when it happened. Or their bodies, so used to finding one another for innocent touch, simply cried out for more after being faced with scenes that did not ease the tension in the slightest. Regardless of the instigating factor, their hands became more intentional at each other's necks and backs.  When Armie felt the pull to find skin, he allowed his hands to slip under Timmy's shirt. As the sensation washed over Timmy, his own tugged Armie's hair until they were facing each other at last, their lips too close to resist much longer. Only after they leaned in did it occur to Armie what was happening as Timmy's tongue pressed against his own to ease the weight on both of their shoulders.

Timmy's hair finished drying on Armie's pillow as he cried out in pleasure while Armie's body rocked above his. With their eyes locked, they found comfort in the one thing they'd put off all along.

Later, Armie would stare at the ceiling but reach out for Timmy's hand to keep him close. They would wake up and shower separately, but Timmy would rest his head against Armie's shoulder as he dressed for some semblance of normalcy.

The melancholic note to their scenes would ring true as they felt more than ever the weight of their characters choices to move on from one another despite wanting nothing more than to reunite. They would not sleep together again while filming, but their friendship would not change either.

 

 

 

It was the promotional tour for the sequel that held them accountable. Armie's marriage was dissolving before his eyes, a request for a divorce coming out of left field one night after dinner. He'd never told her what happened, but he suspected it didn't matter. They had different goals at that point, she'd said. He calls Timmy on the phone after a week of their separation to catch up, "By the way, my marriage is over," slipping out mid conversation. Timmy was silent for a moment before asking if he was alright and promising to hop on a plane if he needed him. He told him to wait with the knowledge that he'd see him in only a few weeks' time anyway for promo.

On tour, he slept in Timmy's room at night and fell asleep to his eyes just as Timmy would wake up to his each morning. They get asked about returning to their chemistry on screen and whether or not it was easy. They get asked that a lot, and each time their minds wander to the night they blurred the lines for good.

In Paris, Timmy tells him he can't go on like this anymore. He listens while Timmy unloads and finds his hands itching to smooth down his hair or hold his hands to stop them from twisting together. "This is too much. I think you're more than my best friend and I think you know that, too." Armie couldn't fight him on it in the slightest. They sat together and Armie reached for Timmy's hand for something to hold as they worked through their complicated past in each of their minds. "See, I think you ruined me. No one else will do." Timmy's voice was warm and thick when he spoke—it sends tingles down Armie's spine. "I haven't had a satisfying fuck since you and Saoirse says it's starting to show." Armie laughs and nods his head.

"Nick says the same about me," he admits.

"So what are we doing man?" Armie couldn't tear his eyes from Timmy's any more than he could stop existing in that moment. "Are we doing this?"

"I don't think we have a choice. No one else will ever be the same." Timmy's responding sigh resulted in his shoulders sagging as he pitched forward to rest his head against Armie's shoulder.

"Thank fuck." Armie laughed again and stopped only when Timmy's lips covered his own in a bruising kiss that left them gasping for air minutes later.

 

 

 

Each time Armie's name is called for awards, he turns to Timmy and pulls him into a tight embrace with a whispered _I love you_ before he walks to the stage. Timmy is less controlled.

He bounces on his feet when his name is called and reaches for Armie in a way he never would have dreamed of before the sequel. The rumors had only progressed with each interview, premiere, and award show they attended, but it didn't stop them. Elizabeth and he had announced their split, so the rumor mill wasn't exactly to blame for taking off so quickly. The divorce hadn't been finalized, so Armie refrained from kissing Timmy in public as a curtesy.

The first time it happens, Timmy's hand is in his as he rubs circles over his knuckles. Timmy glances at him with a smile that seems to say, _this is enough_ , though Armie knows how badly he wants it—not just in general, but for _this._ For what they accomplished and who they became because of it. And for Luca, always for Luca.

When it happens, Timmy doesn't move. His jaw drops and his eyes fill instantly, but he doesn't move. Armie tugs at his hand but Timmy only turns to look at his, awe in his eyes as Armie laughs breathlessly. "Oh my god," Timmy mumbles, but is silenced by Armie's lip on his.

"Stand, Tim. You have to go up there," Armie says against his lips after. He pulls Timmy to his feet and nudges him towards the stage with a radiant smile that causes the tears to spill from Timmy's eyes before he ever makes it to the mic. "I told myself this didn't matter," he says as he holds the golden figure in his hands. "But fuck it feels good."

Armie beams from his seat, knowing eyes are on not only Timmy, but him as well for their display and confirmation of everything the people in the audience suspected. When Timmy mentions him in his speech, the room cries.

They leave the after party early but fall asleep in the early hours of the morning after Timmy is begging Armie to stop making him come. They don't leave the house for a solid week.

By the time they emerge, the stories have already broken and died down. Armie holds Timmy's hand when they walk the streets of New York and Timmy doesn't hesitate to hang all over him and kiss him when they're waiting for a gap in the traffic to cross streets. Armie, who'd never been much for PDA, finds Timmy is the absolute exception to his rule.

The only pictures they acknowledge taken by fans are the not-so-rare ones capturing quiet moments where they simply look at one another. "Heart eyes Hammer," Timmy said one night. "That's what they call you." He looked smug about it and Armie spent the remainder of the evening and many more reminding Timmy just how mutual the heart eyes really were.

 


End file.
